Loom.



.W. H. RANKIN.

LOOM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 80,1913.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. H. RANKIN. LOOM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY so, 1913.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

8 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

W. H. RANKIN.

LOOM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30, 1913.

1,134,063, PatentedMar. 30, 1915 a SHEETS-SHEET a. 53

WILLIAM H. RANKIN, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOM.

Application filed July 30, 1913. Serial No. 782,020.

To all 11?! m if may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. RANKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Yaltham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the. art to which it appertains, to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to looms and more particularly to weft replenishing looms.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction of Weft'replenishing looms and particularly the construction of the filling detector mechanism and the magazine for holding filling carriers;

WVith the above object in view the present invention consists in the Weft replenishing loom hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 1 is a side eleration of the loom taken partly in section through the magazine and lay on the line 1-l of Fig. 6; Fig.

'2 is a detail view showing the cam for operating the filling detector mechanism; Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4- is a detail view in the same plane as Fig. 1, showing the feeler entering the active shuttle; Fig. 5 is a detail View similar to Fig. 4, showing the position of the parts after the hammer has transferred a bobbin from the magazine to the active shuttle; Fig. 6 is a plan view of a part of the loom, showing the magazine and filling detector mechanism; Fig. 7 is a detail of the dagger positioning mechanism; Fig. 8 is a section taken partially along the line 88 of Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a section taken partially along the line 99 of Fig 6; and Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the operation of the filling detector mechanism when the filling in the shuttle is exhausted.-

In the illustrated embodiment of. the invention the lay 10 is mounted upon lay swords l1 pivotedto the loom frame at 12.

The lay is actuated through the connecting rod 13 from the crank shaft 1 1 which rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. p the lay is the'fixed shuttle box 15 and on the left-hand side of the lay are four shift- 'ing shuttle boxes 16 which are adapted to hold shuttles containing filling of four different colors or characters. The shifting shuttle boxes are reciprocated up and down to present the shuttle holding the proper coloredfilling to the picker, by means of a rod 17 slidingly mounted on the lay and connected through a link 18 with an arm 19. The arm 19 is operated by the pattern mechanism (not shown). The above described parts are old and well-known and their construction and operation is understood by those skilled in this art.

Mounted on the right-hand end of frame 30 is a horizontally reciprocating magazine indicated generally by reference numeral 31. This magazine has .four compartments for holding single bobbins or filling carriers containing the same colors or characters of filling as the bobbins in the four shuttles. The magazine 3l'is reciprocated back and forth in unison with the shifting shuttle boxes 16 so that a bobbin containing filling of the same color as that contained by the active shuttle is always positioned over the fixed shuttle box 15 when the lay is in its forward position. The magazine 31 is reciprocated by means of a rock shaft 32 which extends across the front of the loom and bears on its right hand end an arm 33 On the right-hand end of Specification of Letters Patent. PatentedMaf. 30 1915 in the slotted end of which is loosely received a stud 34 on the magazine 31. The rock shaft is rocked by means of an arm 35 on its left hand end which is connected through a link 36 to the pattern changing arm 19. A pin and slot adjustment 37 is provided for adjusting the amount of movement imparted to the magazine 31.

The magazine 31 consists of a base plate by spring pressed plungers 50,, mounted on the side of the base plate 40 and engaging i the bobbins are held in grooved blocks 51 recesses in the bobbin heads. The tips of which are slidingly mounted on the ends of.

the time 41'; 42,431 and 4a "and pressed.

against the bobbin tips by means'of springs" 56. The filled" bobbins are placed mthe magazine 31 by hand the. operator placing.

the recessed butt of the bobbin over the plunger 50 and sliding the tipof the bobbin along the groove 52 in the'block 51 until the?" tip 'engages theirecess b3' in the-groove* A yoke piece 54 extends alon end of the magazine, and has buttons around which h lee eensls. etthe lingare Wound;- .The

e asin is po itie d. re tly re lthe fie sl. shut e. b ys: 15 hen t e, 1. 3% i 1 .1 cits nward po itwm a 1 t e ompl on. of its beatingrqp. 1 126,esbtha ithatfi led.bobb ns heltran fer ted dire tlyiir lmgtheme ai .anee l qrh me t etlin tbe fixed. shuttle 1202s 15gb); e nest a.hamme fidn'lfhehemz men 16.0 sp vqt d. n brack t 6 n the r:

21. f; the 1mm; ra e-and extends heeleyvardly lover the agazine 1-;Tlhe headnf the ham ner,has. a isomers-" ace; 2in en:-

in, n ta, at r l extens q fiial il u nz" cane .faee at. its end toa ng g gttheahohz near its tip,;as

1s Qommoninhamm rsoi this type.

. order. to iiibtbi itfgngftbfhibbffifmm the magazine. to the shutt e; tw -mews ing latc es fiegand 65 are-n no i dwwThe latch 54: is mounted on th Qnd .f. 'umB of the -lo om,'.andis norma ly he d I raised p0:

.- 1 sition.by'meansota helicalispring.titiz ."lhe latch 6.5 ismountede anarmfi w ich turn ,is mounted upon theendot. the'hammer bracket 61; T lat hfi fuis normally held raised by means ,of a helical; springfifi;

; When the jbobbin is driven "-down by.. the

hammer, lthelllatch 6 4:. engages; thebbobbin near its butt and the latch 65v engages the bobbin near itsjip. The springsfid and fis allowethe latchesfieand' 65 to yield and hold the bobbin in. proper alinement ,yvhile it is being'transferred from. the magazinevt the shuttle;- t Y 1, The hammer is actuated by meansfof a latch' 70 which is arranged to be struck by a hunter 71 on the lay. Thelatch 70 is pivot-. ally mountedl at 72 upon thedownwardly extending arm 7 3' of the hammer. 'Theilatch is provided with an adjusting screw 74' whereby the movement imparted through the latch to the hammer by the hunter may be varied. A guard. 75 mounted on the end frame 30of the 100m extends over the top of the latch and prevents it from being forced up. when it is struck by the bunter;

,. The latch nQrmallyoc'cupiesthe position shown in Fig. 1, below the path of. move-' menteof the bunteix, When afilled bobbin is to be transferred .from'the magazine to the shuttle, ..the:latch 70. is raised in o thepath 'on 'the end frame 30.0f the loom and comprises. a'..fe.eler ,for. entering and feeling the filling in the active shuttle and mechanism controlled by the feeler for setting the latch in position to be struck by the hunter. Thev feeler--80- is formed integrally upon the for-- ward end of a sliding block 81 and is ar- 'ranged"fo' iifss thiough a hole in the rear wall of the shuttle box 15 and to enter the shu t eflqfih zee h a 1e 2. n "i s r w and tofeel for the filling-on thebobbinin som as state i s ne i ca a enwl iiiiieit fi ar a P 1 a ar fe r din immeaa draa Be -the Th m ddle ef't bl k 81 e lidir naluslot 8 4: and the rear-oi the block 81 is f eneaaaba'gaiai g ims: tom s 'Sne ing'pin 6 which engage/din a slot-in the 1 uppe and bi. e ele ec i ipsi ie 'fir 1 L ,...Z. eb9 e ankT i o' eilla l o. r s nfoc a'te the feelerb "means of a rod O whi eh ant ens adje e ee 1 h vin P bell kcr an 160m frame.

byw ea wpt b EdE j nR QSe iTsitin g4 i v actingbetween the toprod bearing 93 angl' a collar. 95- clam ed on therodi 90. lewfer;

end of the to bear sja (Being-0n} e g ye m: w h? eret eteiaa the,v rod 90 downwardly.- he -cam l'e lis a t a $9 es ate F Y all i t fie i the speed of the erank shaft. When the rod {50 isdraf ii down bythe cam97 tlieifeeler is ieeler is adi anced.- Pi yotally mounted 'u on a pin 110, whichextends across theslot'g l g I is a, -hook 111. The liook 111 has a' down- 4 in the feeler block retracte and when allows" the rod 90 o; is ra p' b fibi sp e. 'Qtlthe' wardly plf'ojectin beak 112 wh ich, when the v hook is pressed own, is adapted'to "enga' e a'stop lever 113: The hook is normally he d raised, however, by means of [a springpressed plunger 114: mounted in the boi: 83 and engagin the under side of the shank of the hook. The hook is arranged to be moved downwardly by means of an adjustable stop screw 115 whicliis adapted to strike against the rear face of the shuttle 20 which is boxed in the stationary box 15 when the filling is exhausted or so nearlyexhaustedas to allow the feeler .80 to contact or nearly contact v th. t e m a t e eb i nr H n when the bobbin is. filled .or partially iilled,

the lever 113is thus turned, its left-hand msaoee the forward movement of the feeler 80 is arrested by the thread on the bobbin so that the head of the stop screw 115 does not come into contact with the rear face of the shuttle. "When, however, the head of the stop screw 115 does contact with the rear face of the shuttle, it turns the hook about its pivot pin 110 and brings the beak 112 down against the top of the box 83 in position to engage the lever 113 and draw it forward. The rear faces of the shuttles are provided with wear plates 116 for the engagement of the head of'the stop screw 115.

The stop lever 113 is a straight bar pivoted to turn about a substantially. vertical pin 120 on'the bracket which holds the feeler box 83. The stop lever 113 is prevented from moving up and down both by its mounting on the pin 120 and by the rail 121 on the top of the box 83 beneath which the right-hand end of the lever 113 is slidingly engaged. The lever 113 is normally held in the position indicatedin Fig. 10 by means of an extension spring 122 which holds'the' left-hand end of the lever against a stop 123. When the lever 113 is engaged by the beak 112 of the feeler hook 111 its left-hand end is caught and carried forward with the feeler block, turning the lever 113 against the tension of the spring 122. When end is broughtinto the path of movement of the horizontally forwardly extending arm 130 of a latch positioning bell crank 131. The lowerend of the bell crank 131 ispivoted at 132 to the link 76. which connects it with the latch so' that a downward movement of the arm 13O causes the latch to be raised into the path of the hunter. The bell crank 131 is pivoted at 133 to a collar 134 which is clamped on a vertically reciprocated rod135. The rod 135 is parallel with rod 135 i s odrawn upwardly by. means of a helical compressionspring 136 coiled around i therod betweenits upper bearing and a col 'lar 137 clamped on the upper end of the rod. The arm 135 is drawn. downwardly against the force of the spring 136 by means of a cam roller 139 carried on the lower end 1 of the rod 135, and engaging a cam 138 4 'which is formed on the left-hand face of the cam wheel 98. -VVhen the stop lever 113 is in its. normal-position, the rod 135 as it is reciprocated by the cam. 138 and spring 136 carries the bell crank 131 freely up and down. However, when the stop lever 113 is turned by the feeler hook 111 its left-hand end is moved into thepath of the arm 130 of the .bell crank 131 and stops the arm 130 on the next upward movement'of the rod 135. The rod 135 is drawn upward by the spring 136, and the bell crank 1.31 is turned about its axis 133 (as indicated in dotted is slidingly lines in Fig. 7), drawing the link 76' backward and raising the latch 70. into the path of the hunter 71.

The operation of the weft replenishing mechanism is as follows :Beginning with the loom in the position shown in Fig. 1, the lay crank is on its back center, the shed is open, and the active shuttle is traveling through the shed and is about to be boxed in the stationary shuttle box 15. As the lay begins to move forward on its beating-up stroke the shuttle is boxed in the fixed shuttle box 15. After the shuttle is thus boxed the filling detector mechanism is set into operation to feel for the filling on the bobbin in the active shuttle. The continued rotation of the cam shaft 99 brings the abrupt rise 150 of the cam 97 over the cam roll 96, whereupon the rod 90 is released and is drawn upwardly by its spring 94, causing the feeler 80 to follow and overtake the forwardly moving lay. The feeler 80. acting under the influence of the spring 94 enters the active shuttle and feels for the filling on the bobbin. If there is sufficient filling on the bobbin the feeler 80 is arrested by the filling and the stop screw 115 does not come into contact with the shuttle. The feeler hook 111 is, therefore, allowed to remain in its normal position and the hammer 60 is not operated. Suppose, however, that the filling on the bobbin in the active shuttle is substantially exhausted so that a filled bobbin should be substituted therefor. In that case the feeler 80 is not arrested by the filling, but is allowed to-enter the shuttle far enough to bring the head of the stop screw 115 against the shuttle. The forward pressure of the feeler block 81 turns the feeler hook 111 against its spring plunger 114 and movement of the feeler block 81 under the force ofthe spring 94 causes it to continue to follow the layfor-ward and carry with it the right-hand end of the stop lever 113,the left-hand end of which is brought over the end of the arm 130. The continued rotation of the cam shaft 99 brings the abrupt rise 151 in the cam 138 over the cam roll 139, allowing the rod 135 to bedrawn up by its spring 136 carrying with it the latch positioning bell crank 131. The arm 130 of this bell crank is held by the stop lever 113 and the continued upward movement of the rod 135 under influence of its spring causes the bell crank 131 to'be turned about its pivot pin 133 and draw the link 76 rearwardly'. The parts have nowassumed the position illustrated in Fig. 4, the latch 70 being raised into the path of the hunter 71. Both of the cam rollers 96 and 139 now remain in dwells in the cams and as the lay continues to move forwardly to beat in the filling, it'moves away from the now stationary feeler and the latch 7 O is held stationary in the path ofthe bunter, The lay continues to move forward away ,from the now stationary feeler, and the feeler 80' is heldstationary in its ads. vanced position and he latch is held. sta tionary .111 its raised position. At the completion of the beating-up stroke of the lay the hunter 71 strikes the latch 7 O, turningv I movement and the rods'90 and .137 are has resumed its normal position. As the lay crank passes through its back center the. shed is again opened and; the active's-huttle drawn down by the cams 97 and 138 sothat before the lay crank again comes to its back center the 'feeler is retractedand the .latch is driven from the fixed box 15 across the lay into one of the shifting boxes lfi'after in the filling. As shown in Figs.,1. and 2, the cam shaft 99 rotates at half the speed of the crank shaft 14: and the cams 97 and 138 are so shaped that the filling detector mech h anism remains stationary-when-the shuttle is boxed in one of the shifting boxes 16..

It is to be noted that'the fullbobbinis transferred by the hammer into the "active shuttle on the same pick in which the filling detector mechanism operates to indicate the exhaustion of the filling, so that, after the filling detector mechanism indicates the ex-- e40 ,haustion of the filling, the shuttle does not move out of its box until it is replenished.

with morefilling. This is important as it minimizes the danger of the filling becom-,

ing exhausted while the shuttle is traveling through the shed. The mechanism whereby this result is-obtainod is' believed to be highly novel. '-i It is also to be noticed that the access to the 0 en top' of. the magazine 31 is free and uno structed so that the op- .50 erator can easily replace the bobbins which are transferred from'the magazine to the shuttle.

-While the preferred embodiment. a; 5 present invention has been specifically illustrated and described it is'to'be understood that the present invention is not limited to its preferred embodiment but may be embodied in other constructions of weft. replenishing looms withinthe scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claimi 4 1. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay,- a magazine for holding filling carriers, filling detector mechanism I supportedon the loom frame, independent of the lay, and means set into operation by the filling detector mechanism when the filling in the shuttle is substantially exhausted for. transferring a filling carrier from the magazine to the shuttle during the same 2. A-weft replenishing loom having, in combinatioma lay,,.a magazine for holding supported on the loom frame independent of the lay for operating to feel for the filling in. the shuttle during the beating-up stroke of the lay, and mechanism set into operation by the filling detector mechanismwhen the filling in the shuttle'is substantially ex- ,hausted for transferring a'filling carrier from the magazine to the shuttle at the comfilling carriers, filling detector mechanism.

pletion of the-same beating-up stroke: of the I 3."- A weft replenishing; loom having, in combination,-a lay and its 'crank amagazine for holding filling oarriers,ifill;ing detector mechanism supported von the' loom frame independentof .thei-layoperatingto feel for r 'the filling'in the shuttle-when the lay. is back which the lay again moves forward to beat of its forwardorbeating-in position, and

carrier from themaga'zine .to'the shuttle be- .ifore the-lay crank has/turned through a complete revolution.

4-. A weft replenishing looni 'having, in

combination, a lay, a magazine for holding filling carriers, filling detector mechanism supported on the loom frame independent of the lay operating to feel for the filling in the Ishuttle while the shuttle is boxed at the magazine end of the lay, and mechanism set Y into operation by the filling detector mechanism for transferring a filling carrier from I, the magazine to the shuttle before the shuttle leaves its box at the magazine endof the lay. 5. A weft replenishing loom having,-1n combination, a lay, a-magazine for holding :"filling carriers, filling detector mechanism including a feeler mounted on the loom frame which enters the active shuttle from the rear and feels for the filling in the shuttle, and mechanism set into operation by the filling detector mechanism'for transferring a filling carrier from the magazine to the. shuttle.

' 6. A weft replenishing loom having, in

combination, a 'lay, a magazine for vholding fillingcarriers, filling detector mechanism including a feeler and means for causing it -'-to follow and overtakethe lay and feel for the filling in the shuttle on the beating-up.

stroke .of the lay, and means set into'opera- I tion by the filling detector. mechanism for transferring-a filling carrier from the magazine to the shuttle. r v 7. A loomhaving-in combination, a lay,

. and filling detector mechanism including afeeler and means for causing it to follow and overtake the lay and feel for the filling in the shuttle on the beating up stroke of the lay and Weft replenishing means set in operation by the detector mechanism.

8. A loom having, in combination, a lay, and filling detector mechanism including a feeler mounted on the loom frame which enters the shuttle box from the rear and feels for the filling in the shuttle andWef-t replenishing means set in operation by the detector mechanism.

9. A loom having, in combination, a lay, and a filling detector mechanism including a feeler mounted on the loom frame and mechanism for moving the feeler relatively to the lay to cause the feeler to follow and overtake the lay and enter the shuttle in the lay and feel for the filling in the shuttle while the lay is moving.

10. A loom having, in combination, a lay,

and a filling detector mechanism including a feeler mounted on the loom frame and mechanism for actuating the feeler to cause it to enter the shuttle in the lay and feel for the filling in the shuttle during the first part of the beating-up stroke of the lay.

11. A Weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay, a lay crank and crank shaft, a magazine for holdin filling .carriers, detector mechanism in ependent of the lay including a feeler, a cam and cam shaft driven at half thespeed of the lay crank shaft and connections between 'the cam and feeler for causing the feeler to follow the lay, and means set into operation by the filling detector anechanism for transferring a filling carrier from the magazine to the shuttle.

12. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay, a hunter on the lay, a magazine for holding filling carriers, a hammer for transferring a filling carrier from the magazine to the shuttle in the lay, a latch connected to the hammer, and mechanism for positioning the latch in the path of the hunter including a normally freely movable lever, a feeler arranged to move in the same direction as and relatively to the lay and enter the shuttle and feel for the filling in the shuttle, and mechanism set into operation by the continued movement of the feeler in the same direction as the movement of the lay when the feeler feels a shuttle substantially exhausted of filling for obstructing thev movement of the normally freely movable lever to cause it to position the hunter in the path of the lay.

13. A Weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay, a magazine for holding filling carriers, filling detector mechanism including a feeler block terminating in a feeler, a feeler hook pivotedto the feeler block, mechanism for moving the feeler block to cause the feeler to follow the lay and enter the shuttle and feel for the filling in the shuttle, an abutment on the feeler hook arranged to contact with the shuttle box when the filling is substantially ex hausted' and to move the feeler hook relatively to the feelerand a member arranged to be enga ed and moved by the feeler hook When the: eler hook is moved by the abutment, and mechanism set into operation upon the movement of said member for transferring a filling carrier from the magazine to a shuttle in the lay.

14. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay, shifting shuttle boxes on one end of the lay for holding fillings of different color or character, a magazine mountedon the loom frame at the other end of the lay and having a plurality of single bobbin compartments with open tops and bottoms for holding, respectively, each a single bobbin having filling of corresponding color or character, access to the top of the magazine being free and unobstructed to permit the operator to place filled bobbins into the tops of the magazine compartments, a fixed shuttle box on the magazine end of the lay, a hammer mounted on the loom frame, mechanism connecting the shuttle boxes and the magazine for bringing over the shuttle in the fixed shuttle box a bobbin in the magav zine of a corresponding color or character,

filling detector mechanism adapted to position an element to be struck by the lay at the completion of the same beating-up stroke of the lay during which the feeler has indicated a substantially exhausted bobbin in the shuttle, and mechanism for operating the hammer to transfer a filled bobbin from the magazine to the shuttle in the fixed shuttle box when the filling in the shuttle is substantially exhausted. I

15. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay, shifting shuttle boxes on one end of the lay for holding fillings of different color or character, a magazine mounted on the loom frame at the other end of the lay and having a plurality of single bobbin compartments with open tops and bottoms for holding, respectively, each a single bobbin having filling of corresponding color or character, access to the top of the magazine being free and unobstructed to permit the operator to place filled bobbins into the tops of the magazine compart- I ments, a fixed shuttle box on the magazine end of the lay, a hammer mounted on the loom frame, mechanism connecting the shuttle boxes and the magazine for bringing over the shuttle in the fixed shuttle box a bobbin in the magazine of a corresponding color, or character, filling detector mechanism, including a feeler operating to feel for the filling in the shuttle on the beating up stroke of the lay, and mechanism for operating the hammer to transfer a filled bobbin'fromthe magazine to'the shuttle in- 5 eluding a bunter on the lay, a dagger con- "nected with the hammer and a, connection -between the dagger and filling detector mechanism for positioning the dagger soas to be struck by thebunter' at the com-.

letion pf the same beating-up stroke of the ay' durmg which the feeler has feltasubstantially exhausted bobbin in the "shuttle;

WILLIAM H.1RANKIN."

' Witnesses:

'- L. Moomr,

' RonmiM. STARK. j 

